Ant Facts & FAQ’s

Dealing with Ants?

Check out these ant facts & FAQ’s.

Ants are everywhere you look, and if you’re unfortunate enough, you’ve probably found them in your home!

There are hundreds of different species of ants found in Canada, and a single nest can have hundreds of thousands of ants. Ants build nests in ground, in dead trees and anywhere else they can find shelter and food. And because of the sheer number of ants that a single nest can have, getting rid of ants is difficult and often requires the help of ant control professionals like Pest Protection Plus!

Check out these ant facts and FAQ’s to find out more about these pesky pests!

What Types of Ants are Native to Canada?

There are more than 100 different species of ants that you might find in Canada, but the most common types of ants that you’ll find in southern Ontario are carpenter ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, odorous house ants, and Argentine ants.

The most common type of ant that you’re likely to find in your back yard or sneaking into your kitchen looking for food are carpenter ants and odorous house ants.

What Do Ants Eat?

Ants have one of the widest diets of any species of insects or animals. Ants are omnivores and will eat just about anything – plants, meat or anything in between. Ants have a particular taste for sugary foods, which means that in the wild they will search for nectar and other plant secretions that are naturally sweet, but in areas populated by humans they prefer sweet foods like sugar, honey and syrups.

Do Ants Bite or Sting?

Most types of ants that you’ll encounter won’t bite because they don’t have jaws strong enough to pierce human skin, but some types of ants can and will if they feel threatened. Some ants also have a stinger (like wasps and hornets) and can sting. Sometimes, ants will first bite and then sting, which can be painful even to humans. Carpenter ants are large enough and have powerful enough jaws to pierce human skin and will bite to defend themselves. Fire ants are smaller than carpenter ants but have stingers and attack in swarms with enough effectiveness to kill a small animal.

How Strong Are Ants?

You’ve probably heard that ants can lift things much heavier than their own body weight, and it’s true! Some types of ants can carry up to 50 times their body weight with their mandibles.

How Do Ants Communicate?

Ants are very interesting animals because hundreds of thousands of ants can work together to achieve great feats like building huge nests and gather enough food to keep the colony thriving. How do this many ants all work together so effectively? They have a very effective chemical based communication system. Ants release pheromones – chemicals that smell a certain way, and different smells mean different things. Ants have antennae on their heads that are lined with very sensitive receptors that pick up and interpret the different pheromones.

If you’re looking for a professional pest control company toget rid of ants that have nested in your home and are looking for food,call the experts at Pest Protection Plus!